Cold City: A Repairman Jack Novel

If you've never read a Repairman Jack novel, this is the place to begin. It's 1990. A twenty-one-year-old named Jack has dropped out of college, leaving his old life behind to build a new one in New York City. Manhattan's rough edges are jagged enough to shred any unwary newcomer, but perhaps not one who is determined to stay off the grid, at any cost, in the busiest metropolis on earth. And to do so, he'll have to take jobs of a less than legal nature.

Nightworld: The Adversary Cycle, Book 6

The end of the world begins at dawn, when the sun rises later than it should. Then the holes appear. The first forms in Central Park, within sight of an apartment where Repairman Jack and a man as old as time watch with growing dread. Gaping holes, bottomless and empty…until sundown, when the first unearthly, hungry creatures appear.

Cold City: A Repairman Jack Novel

If you've never read a Repairman Jack novel, this is the place to begin. It's 1990. A twenty-one-year-old named Jack has dropped out of college, leaving his old life behind to build a new one in New York City. Manhattan's rough edges are jagged enough to shred any unwary newcomer, but perhaps not one who is determined to stay off the grid, at any cost, in the busiest metropolis on earth. And to do so, he'll have to take jobs of a less than legal nature.

Reprisal

"Who am I? Why, I'm you. Or parts of you. The best parts. I'm the touch of Richard Speck, Ed Gein, John Wayne Gacy, Ted Bundy, and Bin Laden in all of you. I am the thousand tiny angers and fleeting rages of your day - at the car that cuts you off on the freeway, at the kid who sneaks ahead of you in line at the movies, at the old fart with the full basket in the eight-items-only express checkout at the supermarket. I'm the nasty glee in the name-callers and the long-suffering pain, the self-loathing, the smoldering resentment, the suppressed rage, and the never-to-be-fulfilled promises of revenge in their targets.

The Compendium of Srem

In the 15th century, the Spanish Inquisition spreads terror throughout the land, with Prior Toms de Torquemada serving as the ultimate judge of who will live and who will be consigned to the purifying flames. Never has Torquemada questioned his own faith or his sacred duty to rid the world of heretics, blasphemers, and nonbelievers. Now, however, an extraordinary volume has come into his possession - an ancient book that radiates pure evil.

Panacea: A Novel

Medical examiner Laura Hanning has two charred corpses and no answers. Both bear mysterious tattoos but exhibit no known cause of death. Their only connection to one another is a string of puzzling miracle cures. Her preliminary investigation points to a cult in the possession of the fabled panacea - the substance that can cure all ills - but that's impossible.

Night School: A Jack Reacher Novel, Book 21

It's 1996, and Reacher is still in the army. In the morning they give him a medal, and in the afternoon they send him back to school. That night he's off the grid. Out of sight, out of mind. Two other men are in the classroom - an FBI agent and a CIA analyst. Each is a first-rate operator, each is fresh off a big win, and each is wondering what the hell they are doing there. Then they find out: A jihadist sleeper cell in Hamburg, Germany, has received an unexpected visitor - a Saudi courier seeking safe haven while waiting to rendezvous with persons unknown.

The Obsidian Chamber

After a harrowing otherworldly confrontation on the shores of Exmouth, Massachussetts, Special Agent A.X.L. Pendergast is missing, presumed dead. Sick with grief, Pendergast's ward, Constance, retreats to her chambers beneath the family mansion at 891 Riverside Drive - only to be taken captive by a shadowy figure from the past. Proctor, Pendergast's longtime bodyguard, springs to action, chasing Constance's kidnapper through cities, across oceans, and into wastelands unknown....

The Proteus Cure

Dr. Shelia Takamura, a young, dedicated oncologist, is proud to be involved in the clinical trials. Once the FDA approves it for widespread use, VG723 will revolutionize cancer therapy. That is why she's alarmed when former patients return with bizarre syndromes. Yes, they're cancer free, but they're experiencing dramatic changes in their hair and skin and general appearances.

Marjorie Vickers says:"Intrigue, prescient medical science, and good development ofCharacters"

The Fifth Harmonic

Will Burleigh is a hard-nosed, no-nonsense M.D. totally dedicated to the health and welfare of the patients in his practice. But when he himself is diagnosed with throat cancer, he can’t bear the idea of undergoing massive radiation and radical surgery that will leave him permanently disfigured - all with no guarantee he will live at all.

Orphan X

Evan Smoak is a man with skills, resources, and a personal mission to help those with nowhere else to turn. He's also a man with a dangerous past. Chosen as a child, he was raised and trained as part of the off-the-books black box Orphan program, designed to create the perfect deniable intelligence assets - i.e. assassins. He was Orphan X. Evan broke with the program, using everything he learned to disappear.

Monster Hunter Memoirs: Grunge

When marine private Oliver Chadwick Gardenier is killed in the marine barrack bombing in Beirut, somebody who might be Saint Peter gives him a choice: Go to heaven, which, while nice, might be a little boring, or return to earth. The Boss has a mission for him, and he's to look for a sign. He's a marine: He'll choose the mission. Unfortunately, the sign he's to look for is "57". Which, given the food services contract in Bethesda Hospital, creates some difficulty. Eventually it appears that God's will is for Chad to join a group called Monster Hunters International.

The Wrong Side of Goodbye: A Harry Bosch Novel, Book 21

Harry Bosch is California's newest private investigator. He doesn't advertise, he doesn't have an office, and he's picky about who he works for, but it doesn't matter. His chops from 30 years with the LAPD speak for themselves. Soon one of Southern California's biggest moguls comes calling. The reclusive billionaire has less than six months to live and a lifetime of regrets. He hires Bosch to find out whether he has an heir.

Cursed: The Thrice Cursed Mage, Book 1

My name is Mac Brennan, and that's the only thing I can remember about myself. Not why I woke up in a dumpster. Not why my right arm is as black as pitch and covered in glowing red tattoos, and certainly not why a vicious death cult is after me. Actually, that last part isn't true. I know why the death cult is after me. It's because I saved that damned girl from them. I didn't know who she was at the time, but I'd have done it anyway. I just don't like it when girls get beat up; call me old fashioned.

No Man's Land: John Puller Series

John Puller's mother disappeared nearly 30 years ago. Despite an intensive search and investigation, she was never seen again. But new allegations have come to light suggesting that Puller's father - now suffering from dementia and living in a VA hospital - may have murdered his wife. Puller is officially barred from working on the case and faces a potential court-martial if he disobeys the order, but he knows he can't sit this investigation out.

Nightwise

In the more shadowy corners of the world, frequented by angels and demons and everything in between, Laytham Ballard is a legend. It's said he raised the dead at the age of 10, stole the Philosopher's Stone in Vegas back in 1999, and survived the bloodsucking kiss of the Mosquito Queen. Wise in the hidden ways of the night, he's also a cynical bastard who stopped thinking of himself as the good guy a long time ago.

Gideon's Sword

At 12, Gideon Crew witnessed his father, a world-class mathematician, accused of treason and gunned down. At 24, summoned to his dying mother's bedside, Gideon learned the truth: His father was framed and deliberately slaughtered. With her last breath, she begged her son to avenge him. Now, with a new purpose in his life, Gideon crafts a one-time mission of vengeance, aimed at the perpetrator of his father's destruction. His plan is meticulous, spectacular, and successful.But from the shadows, someone is watching. A very powerful someone, who is impressed by Gideon's special skills.

Publisher's Summary

Jack is hired to find a legendary Japanese sword, a katana stolen from the Hiroshima Peace Museum and brought to New York City. Central characters include the members of a weird Japanese cult, a young Japanese businessman (who is the brother of a character killed in Legacies), and his three Yakuza bodyguards, plus Hank Thompson, the Kicker cult leader from Bloodline. The cult, the businessman, the Yakuza, and the Kickers are looking for the sword as well.

Following Jack's usual m.o., he maneuvers all sides into a bloody melee from which he plans to waltz away with the fabled katana. Of course, when things don't go as planned, Jack must improvise (and he hates to improvise).

By the Sword takes F. Paul Wilson's trademark breakneck pacing and interweaving storylines to a new level.

It was only my sheer commitment to the story and wanting to know what happened that kept me going through these last two books. I can only assume there must have been a very good reason to switch narrators this late in a series, but please NEVER do this again!

Anyway, back to Christopher Price now so I can enjoy the conclusion of the series. But I needed an ear enema and a good lie-down after listening to the last two.

While I love this series i couldn't stomach this one. This Dick Hill fellow in my opinion is horrible. I barely made it through the previous book he narrated, but I cant finish this one. Total letdown.

I would definitely try another book from Wilson, he is a master story writer however Dick Hill is not my favorite narrator.

What do you think your next listen will be?

Since I am listening to the series in order I will be starting Ground Zero this afternoon.

Would you be willing to try another one of Dick Hill’s performances?

If given a choice, I would prefer not to. I did not much understand a lot of what he said...I understand there was an Asian motif bit I kept nodding off and I don't usually do that with Wilson's books.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

Of course it had redeeming qualities, the master wrote and I listened, regardless of how disappointed I was in this book I will continue to listen to his stories, they are fascinating.

Any additional comments?

with this exception his stories are spell binding. So i continue to listen

I Love this series, BUT, and that is a huge BUT, never think you can bring on a new narrator in a series. Rick Hill is good in his style, BUT he IS NOT, even e n close to making me want to listen. I feel cheated now. I bought 2 books. #11 and 12 thinking it would not be so bad. O M G, I was so wrong. Rick Hill tried, he really did but after reading 10 books or listening to them, I was totally thrown off. His voice for His was nowhere near Prices narration. It was broken, and just not right. I figured after that maybe the next book would be better as it also was narrated by Mr. Hill, but I swear it said Chris Price. Abe w a s not even r e recognizable. I returned both as I could not get through them with this narration as Jack and family. If you know Jack, ( no pun intended) either 're a d the actual story or skip them. I'M SURPRISED THE POWERS THAT BE TRIED TO PULL THIS THINKING IT WOULD FLY. If the author did it, shame on you but I TH I boot is Amazon

Would you ever listen to anything by F. Paul Wilson again?

Only if narrated by Chris Price for this series. Other books yes...although I'm nervous now.

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Dick Hill?

Christopher Price. Jack

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from By the Sword?

Never we r made it past a few pages

Any additional comments?

What were you thinking. Does your accent, style and voice change. I must say I read a review saying the same thing before I purchased these and thought the guy was being a bit of a jerk. Was I wrong. I should have listened to him.I will not finish this series if this is not corrected. Two stories is too much to miss and I do not have the luxury to sit and read them. Audio is it for now

I know,the majority of Audible listeners seem to love Dick Hill's narrations but this was so awful I couldn't bear to finish. Hills totally bogus accents, be it Julios P.R.,Abes Yiddish-isms or the many Japanese accents in this novel were so poor I cringed..and I couldn't keep the story straight..finally just gave up and decided to go on to the next episode with Christopher Price at the mike.

I notice this was recorded in 2008 and it could be that Price was not available then, perhaps this recording was done before Audio books really caught on..and "Bloodline" is noted as being narrated by Hill also,but apparently Price has re-done it and Audible just hasn't changed the test to note that...in any case I'll listen to this again when Price or the new narrator who did the Early Years prequels redoes "By The Sword.But for now..I consider this a waste of a credit and it's going back.

I sure wish Hill didn't do the Jack Reacher series also,since I'm kvetching about Him in this review. Sorry for the bitch session, but I'm just so frustrated.

I have loved this book. And all of the repairman Jack books. But the last one was read by a real flop. Interesting how your perception of the character rests on the reading style. But I love the story line. 😉

I'm now deep into the Repairman Jack series, and I'm more enthralled with each successive book. I've listened to twelve books straight through and moving onto the next. Usually I burn out after a couple, and move onto something else for awhile, then come back. Not this series!

I like the characters. They are well drawn, and very complete as people. Jack himself is very true to himself, and although his code is not to everybody's comprehension, he is very consistent within it.

The overall story arc is well planned, and each book covers one particular aspect. This one deals with a sword from the first Age.

All of the books are uniformly excellent, and I know when I finish the series, I'm going to be sorry to see it end.

I highly recommend the series. I can't say enough good things about it. The writing style, the plotting and pacing, the characters, all show the results of a mature writer, and that plus a very good narrator, give we, the listeners, an unparalleled experience.

The mechanics of the story are preposterous. Dropping a crucifix by parachute with a man nailed to it and a reporter can see him open and close his eyes as he descends. Really now!

What was most disappointing about F. Paul Wilson???s story?

The female character is supposed to be strong enough in her commitment to her profession so as to prove her worth to her father. For pity sakes woman, stop your whining. She has little to say that is not self pitying and not whining.

What about Dick Hill???s performance did you like?

Dick Hill is a fine performer especially when he is given a decent story line to work with.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

disappointment

Any additional comments?

My iPhone did not fully download part 2 and I really didn't care. I didn't go back to remedy this again because I really just didn't care.